


Newsies One Shots (mostly jackcrutchie)

by CrutchieIsMySantaFe



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Canon Era, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Is Gay, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modern Era, Mostly jackcrutchie, One Shot, Physical Abuse, Physical Disability, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, very gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 19:50:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8298298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrutchieIsMySantaFe/pseuds/CrutchieIsMySantaFe
Summary: Just some Newsies One Shots I've written in my free time. They're mostly JackCrutchie, cuz I'm trash. What can I say.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this first one is when Jack and Crutchie met in Canon era. At least my take on what might have happened. Enjoy!

  It was excruciatingly cold as Jack Kelly made his way back to the Lodging House. No one has had much luck selling papes lately, and Jack wasn't any exception. It was just too cold for anyone to be outside to  _ buy  _ them.

  He stopped to catch his breath, glancing down the narrow alley to his right as he blew warm air into his ungloved hands. I was second nature to him, checking back streets and alleyways for scabs or Delanceys.

  What he saw, however, was neither of those. Barely visible from behind a pile of garbage and discarded furniture was what appeared to be a human foot. He moved forward with caution, ready to soak someone if he needed to.

  The foot, he ascertained, belonged to a boy that looked about his age. The boy shot to his feet when he saw Jack, who raised his hands in surrender.

 “I ain't gonna hurt ya…” Jack coaxed, moving further away. 

  The boy, on top of looking starved and freezing, was leaning on a worn, wooden crutch, his right foot dragging limply against the frozen ground. He looked at Jack with wild eyes, his freckled cheeks and nose red from the cold.

  “You hungry?” Jack asked.

  The kid hesitated, before nodding.

 “If you come with me, there's food, and a warm place to sleep. It ain't much, but it'll get you off the streets…” Jack offered. Sure, the Lodging House was pretty crowded already, but it could take one more.

  Bright blue eyes locked with Jack's grey ones. The stare held for a moment, and the boy hobbled forward with slight difficulty.

  “Ya know, I could carry ya…” Jack started.

  “No!” The kid snapped, and Jack couldn't tell if he was blushing or if it was just the cold. From the look on the kids face, Jack could tell that he had strong feelings about the matter.

  “Okay….at least take my coat then. You'll freeze out here.” Jack held out the coat, as a kind of peace offering.

  The boy, (Jack still didn't know his name, and he didn't want to upset him again by asking), paused to put on the coat, before moving closer to Jack. 

  The kid was cute, Jack thought, what with his light brown falling over his blue eyes. The eyes in question blinked expectantly at Jack, who cleared his throat.

  “Well, let's get going then.” Jack, though he would never admit it, didn't want to be out in the cold longer than he had to.

  They made their way back to the Lodging House in silence, Jack walking slower than usual to accommodate for the kid’s limp. When they arrived, Jack wrenched open the large door and ushered his new friend, (friend?companion? God, he needed to get this kid a nickname), inside. No sooner than when the door had been shut behind them, they were greeted by about ten other boys, all clamouring to get a look at the guy Jack had brought in.

  “Hey! Back off. Don't crowd ‘im.” Jack had to shout to be heard over the many voices. Without thinking, he put an arm around the kid, as if to protect him from the rest of the boys.

  “What've we gots here, Jackie boy?” A short, dark haired boy, Racetrack, spoke up from the crowd.

  “What's his name, Jack?” Called another boy, Kid Blink.

  Jack shrugged.

  “Does he talk?” A guy called Mush piped in from where he stood next to Blink.

  “Not much, from what I've heard.” Jack replied, glancing at the kid that he still had his arm around. He looked panicked, pressing closer to Jack. This probably looked strange to the other boys, as he looked to be around the same age as Jack, though a bit shorter.

  “Hey, new kid! Got a name?” Racetrack called.

  He shook his head.

  “We have to call him something.” A voice from the back of the group, Specs, put in.

  “We could call ‘im Crutchie…” Racetrack suggested, indicating the crutch with his unlit cigar.

  “Race! Don't be an ass!” Jack snapped.

  “I don't mind…” A voice spoke up from beside Jack. It was the first time the kid had said more than one word since Jack had found him.

  Several people stared at him.

  “Ya don't? Ain’t it a bit... demeanin?” Jack inquired.

  “Well, it ain't exactly a secret. It's kinda obvious, actually.”

  “In that case, welcome to the Newsies family, Crutchie.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You showed up at my place in the middle of the night with bruises and blood and you won't tell me what happened so I just lead you into the bathroom and clean you up" au with jackcrutchie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trash for fluffy hurt/comfort and also jackcrutchie so please enjoy

  Jack Kelly was awoken at 3am by a knock on his apartment door.

  He sat straight up in bed, taking a few seconds to gather his bearings. Once he was sure that he hadn't been dreaming, he left his bedroom and crept towards the front door. As he got closer, he grabbed an umbrella from the stand by the door, just for good measure. You never know when you'll have to fight someone.

  Once he reached the door, he took a deep breath before unlocking it and throwing it open.

  What stood outside of the door was not a demon or burglar, but a boy about his age, though about a foot shorter. He wore jeans and a torn flannel shirt, a grey beanie perched on his short, sandy brown hair. He leaned on a metal crutch, his right foot dragging on the ground. This, however, was not the problem. The problem was that he was dirty, bruised, and covered in blood.

  He dropped the umbrella.

  “Hey, Jack.” The boy stated simply, though his blue eyes looked pained.

  Jack rushed forward, placing a hand on his back and examining him closer, as if to ascertain the extent of the damage.

  “What the hell happened to you, Crutchie?” The taller boy exclaimed, ushering the other into the apartment.

 “I'm fine, Jack.” Crutchie brushed him off, collapsing into the armchair in the.  small living room.

  “You don't look fine.” He stated, gesturing at the blood and bruises. “And you just about collapsed in my living room at  _ three in the morning _ , so I'm almost positive you are  _ not  _ fine.”

  “It's three in the morning?” Was the  confused reply.

  “Don't you have a phone?”

  “Dead.”

  “For God's sake, Crutch. You can't just show up,  _ bleeding _ , in my living room at  _ three a.m.  _ with no explanation. What  _ happened  _ to you?” Jack was doing the thing where he waved his arms around when he was frustrated.

  “Damn, Jack.  _ I'm  _ the one bleeding and  _ you're  _ getting stressed. Did ya have a bad day?” The light haired boy teased, closing his eyes in an expression of what seemed to be pain.

  “You're bleeding on my carpet!” Jack stated, voice fraught with panic.

  “Geez, cowboy. You sound like Davey.”

The pain in Crutchie’s joking voice was  enough to clear Jack's spinning head.

  “At least come bleed in my bathroom and I'll get you cleaned up.” He offered, though it was really more of a command than a request.

  The smaller boy obeyed, grabbing the crutch from the floor and limping after him.

_   He's walking even worse than usual.  _ Jack noted with worry.

  When they reached the small bathroom, he made Crutchie sit on the counter while he grabbed a first aid kit from under the sink.  _ Thank god Dave made me buy this. _

  Those blue eyes followed the movement, coming to rest on Jack's worried face.

  “I'm sorry I've got you so worried. Didn't mean to scare ya.” The apology sounded embarrassed, almost nervous, as if he was afraid that Jack was mad at him.

  “It's fine. As long as you're alright. I can never get mad at you anyway. Now take your shirt off.” He reassured the injured boy, who unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the ground.

  His pale chest and stomach were black and blue with bruising, there was a nasty cut on his left bicep, and there were interspersed imprints of what had to have been brass knuckles. He winced as Jack cleaned the cut on his arm, which appeared to have been made by a knife, before wrapping it with gauze.

  “You good?” He inquired, now tending to the brass knuckle imprints.

  This question was met by a curt nod of the head.

  Satisfied, he finished cleaning the imprints and stepped back.

  “It okay if I look at your leg?” Jack asked, though he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

  Crutchie hesitated before nodding once more.

  As delicate as if touching a plant or small animal, Jack rolled up the pants to look at the right leg. It was livid with bruises, far worse than the upper body, and looked sprained, if not broken. He couldn't tell if it was twisted at a more unnatural angle than usual.

  “Good thing you don't put weight on this leg anyway, cuz it would hurt something awful.” He remarked; half teasing, half serious.

  “That bad, huh?”

  It was Jack's turn to nod.

  “Guess for once in my life I'm lucky to have a bum leg.” 

  Jack couldn't tell if that tone of voice was teasing or sad, so he just examined the other leg. That one was fine, aside from a few dark purple bruises.

  “You ever gonna tell me what happened?” He asked for the third time, not confident he would get an answer.

  Crutchie took a deep breath before answering. “Delanceys.”

  “Those creeps again?! I'll kill them next time I see them, I swear. But how'd you manage to have a run in with them at  _ three in the goddamned morning. _ ”

  “Well, you see….I couldn't sleep. So I thought a walk might help.” He was cut off by Jack's incredulous voice.

  “A walk?” He said, glancing in a skeptical manner at the bad leg and the crutch on the floor.

  “Don't patronize me, Jack Kelly.” He accused, before continuing his explanation.          “Yes, a walk. So I'm walking down the sidewalk, right, and I'm not exactly a quiet walker, as you know. And I walk past this alley, and they must have heard me coming, cuz they grabbed me and….well, you know the rest.”

  “Jesus, Crutch. I swear I'll kill them. This isn't the first time they've done this to you.” Jack was angry now, and Crutchie didn't like it when people were angry. It made him nervous. Jack knew this and, seeing the nervous look in the blue eyes, calmed down a considerable amount.

  “You're staying the night.” He announced.

  “I-I am?” It was Crutchie’s turn to sound incredulous.

  “Of course. There's no way I'm sending you off on your own after what happened earlier. You'll have to stay overnight.”

  “You only have one bed.” The blue eyes. now shone with sly mischief. 

  “We'll have to share.” Jack's voice held the same mischief as the other boy’s eyes.

  “What a shame.” This statement was, of course, quite sarcastic.

  “Let's be on our way, then. I'd like to get _ some _ sleep tonight.” He helped Crutchie off of the counter and handed him the crutch.

  “Sure thing, cowboy.” Crutchie teased, following Jack into the small bedroom.      Jack rummaged in the large dresser before tossing a bundle of clothes at him.

  “Go change.” He ordered.

  “Could have given these to me while I was still in the bathroom, y’know. Save me the walk.” He complained, half joking.

  “Sorry.” Jack replied, half joking.

  While Crutchie was changing, he also changed, into paint stained running shorts he had found on the floor.

  “Are all your clothes stained with paint?” Came a voice from the doorway. Crutchie had returned, wearing just a little bit too big sweatpants and a soft t-shirt, both of which also contained traces of leftover paint.

  “No.” Jack denied. He was lying.

  The boy shrugged as he limped over and crawled into bed with Jack, setting his crutch on the floor. After a few moments he moved closer, curling up next to Jack like a cat. Jack could feel the warmth radiating off of the small body.

  “Night Crutch.” He whispered.

  “Night Jack.” The reply was heavy, slurred with sleep.

  Jack put a protective arm around the sleeping boy, and it wasn't long before  _ he  _ was asleep too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated and welcome.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some more jackcrutchie hurt/comfort. Enjoy!

  Crutchie woke up in pain. His leg was stiff and cramping,every small movement sending white hot bolts of pain shooting up his spine. He forced himself into a sitting position, grinding his teeth in an attempt not to cry out. He didn't want to wake Jack, who was still sound asleep on the mattress next to him. 

_   Of all the nights we could have slept on the rooftop.  _ He thought, grabbing his crutch from where it rested next to him. 

  With the aid of the crutch, along with the metal railing that lined the roof, he was able to stand. 

  He had to get down to the street before the other boys. If they saw him struggling like he was, they'd know he was having one of his days. One of the days when his bum leg was worse than usual and it hurt to move. He didn't want them to worry about him.

  Proud of himself for making it to the ladder without crying out in pain, he began to climb down slowly. He only made it a few steps down, however, before his good foot slipped. His crutch clattered to the ground far below him, leaving him hanging by his fingertips.

  The clatter of his crutch, along with the sharp yelp he had let out when he slipped, had been enough to rouse Jack from his slumber. It took a few seconds for him to catch on to the situation, before racing over to the ladder and hauling Crutchie back up by his arms.

  “What did I say  _ last _ time this happened? It ain't gonna do nobody any good if you go and bust your other leg too!” Jack exclaimed, setting the other boy down next to him.

  “M' sorry, Jack. Didn't mean ta scare ya.” Crutchie apologized weakly, sliding down to lay on his back. He couldn't hide a grimace as he straightened his leg out in front of him. He at least hoped Jack didn't notice.

  Jack did.

  “You doin alright, Crutch?” The dark haired boy looked down at him, eyes laced with concern.

  “M' fine.” He breathed, eyes squeezed shut as if the pain would go away if he couldn't see it.

  “Bum leg botherin ya?” Came the reply.

  “No more than usual.” His voice was tight.

  It was silent for a minute, the only sound the crippled boy's laboured breathing.

  “You liar.” Jack declared.

  “I ain't,” he sucked in a sharp breath. “Lyin.”

  “The hell you ain't. You can barely talk, much less move.” His voice was soft despite the accusation. 

  “I'll be fine, Jackie boy. Just help me down the ladder.” 

  “No way in hell am I letttin ya hawk papes in yer state.”

  “I'm fine, Jack! I ain't a helpless crip who needs ya to fuss over him all the time!” Crutchie snapped, sitting up to glare at Jack.

  “Crutch...” He sounded pained.

  “Sorry. Didn't mean ta yell. You's just tryin ta help.”

  “Naw, you’s right. You don't need everyone fussin over ya all the time. But the refuge really gave ya a hard time, and it won't do ya any good to walk around sellin papes when you's can barely stand.”

  “Jack-” 

  “No buts, Crutch. Now how abouts we just rest up here for the day, an you can go back to sellin tomorrow, if ya feel up to it.”

  “I ain't lettin ya miss a whole day of work on account of my gimp leg!”

  “I'm not just gonna leave ya by yourself. We could both afford to take a day off.” Jack reassured him, scooting closer. 

  As gentle as if he was handling a baby bird, he moved the smaller boy's leg onto his lap and began to gently massage it. He was prone to do this when the leg was real bad, as it seemed to lessen the cramping just a bit. This gesture was met with a sigh of relief from Crutchie, who slid onto his back once again. His sandy brown hair fell over his closed eyes, and his breathing evened out a little. 

  “Wanna go back to the mattress?” Jack asked, still rubbing circles up and down the leg.

  “Sure.” The light haired boy replied. “But no carryin.”

  “No carryin.” He confirmed, standing and helping the other to his feet.

  With Crutchie leaning on Jack for support, (the crutch was still at the bottom of the ladder), they made their way over to the mattress on the corner of the rooftop. 

  After Crutchie had returned from the refuge, the other boys had been woken frequently by his nightmares. Jack's solution had been to drag the biggest mattress they had up to the rooftop for him and Crutchie to share. It kept them warmer at night, Crutchie had comfort when he woke up screaming, and the other boys got to sleep peacefully. It was a win for everyone, he had said.

  They settled onto the mattress, Crutchie closing his eyes again and Jack resuming the massaging.  

  “Still hurt real bad?” He asked after a while.

  His question was met with a hesitant nod, which made Jack's heart ache. He hated seeing the other boy in pain, especially when there wasn't much he could do about it.

  “Am I helping at all?”

  “You're doing fine, cowboy. It helps. Promise.” Crutchie chuckled, feeling around and placing a thin, shaking hand on Jack's knee.

  The hand was covered with a larger, stronger one.

  “Any other way I could help?”

  “You could distract me. Tell me about Santa Fe again.”

  “I don't need Santa Fe, Crutch. I gots you.” He ruffled the light brown hair, knocking off the backwards hat somehow still perched on it.

  “You sap.” The words were slurred with pain and sleep.

  “You bet. And you love me for it.”

  “You bet I do.” Was the last thing Crutchie said before he fell asleep in Jack's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated and welcome. 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That scene where Jack went to see Crutchie at the refuge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm a sucker for angst and hurt/comfort.... please enjoy!

Jack Kelly almost couldn't work up the courage to go back to the Refuge. He'd promised. Promised himself he would never go back there. Promised he'd never let Snyder get to him again. But this wasn't about him. It was about Crutchie, and Crutchie was all that mattered.

 

Attempting to make as little noise as possible, he climbed up the rickety fire-escape to a window on the fourth floor. This particular window, is his memory served him correct, was the one with the faulty lock. He should know. This was the window through which he had made his escape.

 

When he reached the window, he took a brief moment to peer through the grimy glass. If the routine was the same as it had been when he was there, then the kids would be downstairs, carrying out Snyder's dirty work. Little force was necessary to push open the window,  just as he had thought.

 

Sure enough, the dark room was completely empty, save for the many bunkbeds that were arranged across the room. At least, he  _ thought _ the room was empty. Upon further inspection, he caught sight of a small figure huddled on a bed in the far corner.

 

He crept forward, stopping when he was about an arm's length away from the bed in question. He stood there for a moment before placing a hand on the shoulder of the figure. The moment his hand made contact, the figure twisted around and pushed up against the wall, wincing in pain at the sudden movement.

 

This figure, a sandy-haired boy a bit smaller than Jack, was sucking in harsh, shallow breaths, blue eyes wide with terror.

“Crutchie! It's me! It's Jack! You're fine, I'm here!” Jack whispered, placing a firm hand on the smaller boy's arm.

 

“J-jack? W-what're ya doin here…?” Crutchie inquired weakly, squinting through the darkness at Jack.

 

“What do ya think, Crutch? I came to rescue you.” Jack replied, sitting down on the edge of the small bunk.

 

“Y-ya shouldn't be here. It's dangerous. You'll get caught. You have to leave!” Crutchie pleaded.

 

“I'll never leave ya again, Crutch. Never.” Jack replied, voice soft but firm. “Promise.”

 

The other boy stared up at Jack. “What happened yesterday, Jack? The Delancys found me and I was callin and callin for ya, but you never came. Then they took my crutch and they...” He stopped, choking back a sob.

 

“If they touched you…” Jack warned.

 

“I'm okay. I'm okay.” He repeated, trying to convince himself more than convince Jack. “Why'd you leave me, Jack?”

 

Jack couldn't meet those blue eyes.  

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just...ran. Didn't even think, just ran. Like a coward.”

 

The blue eyes slid down towards the floor. Jack brought his hand up to rub the smaller boy's back, stopping when Crutchie tensed.

 

“Crutch. Where'd they hurt you.” Jack coaxed. 

 

“Jack…” He tried to brush Jack's worrying hands off, but winced in pain again. 

 

“Tell me. Please.” Jack's hands, usually steady and strong, fluttered across Crutchie’s small form, like he didn't know what he could touch. 

 

“I...I can't walk, Jack. They dragged me away by my bad leg and...it's pretty bad...and Snyder-” He stopped suddenly, breathing hard.

 

“Snyder hit you?!” Jack almost yelled, though he was trying to be quiet.

 

Crutchie hesitated before nodding, an almost unnoticeable movement.

 

Jack blinked before wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and holding tight. After a few seconds Crutchie melted into his arms, still shaking. He felt safe, even if only for a moment. 

 

The moment didn't very long. Jack sat up, as if remembering where they were. “How bad is your leg, Crutch?”

 

“It's fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about it.” Crutchie was almost too quick to assure him.

 

“I don't believe you.”

 

Crutchie looked at the floor again, light brown hair falling over his eyes. “I'm fine, Jack. Really.”

 

“I know you're lying. You don't have to be so brave, Crutch. I'm here for you. Please let me see how bad it is.”

 

He leaned back against the poor excuse for a pillow, allowing Jack to pull back the thin sheet and examine his injuries. Both of them sucked in a sharp breath, Jack in surprise, Crutchie in pain. His right leg was twisted at an even more unnatural angle than usual, the pale skin livid with shallow cuts and dark bruises. Jack looked like he wanted to kill someone.

 

“If he ever touches you again-” Jack began, but Crutchie cut him off.

 

“There's nothing you can do, Jack.”

 

“I can get you outta here.”

 

“You can't, Jack. I… I can't walk and my crutch is gone, there's no way we could get out of here unnoticed.” 

 

“I'll carry you!”

 

“You know I don't let anyone carry me.” Crutchie warned.

 

“This is different, Crutchie! People are hurting you here I can't just leave you!” 

 

“It's not different. I'm not a child, I don't need to be carried. Even if I let you there's no way you could get us both down that fire escape without being seen. I'll be fine here, you have to leave before someone finds you.”

 

“I'm not leaving without you, Crutchie! You might not even survive another couple days. Your leg could get infected or the polio could come back or--” He was cut off when Crutchie’s mouth pressed against his. It lasted a split second, before Crutchie pulled out of the kiss he had started, staring at Jack with determination.

 

“I'll be fine, at least long enough for you to win the strike. After you win, you can come back for me. Make sure that the papes say how bad Snyder treats us. If you do that, he'll go to jail for sure and you can get me outta here.”

 

“Crutch.”

 

“Go, Cowboy. Go win the strike, for me.”

 

“I love you.” Jack stated as he stood from the small bunk and backed across the room.

 

“I love you too.” Crutchie replied.

  
With that, Jack climbed back out the window into the night, leaving Crutchie alone in a cold room with a leg that cramped and twinged and feelings of pain, fear and, most importantly, hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated! (If you have any prompts you want me to write then comment them or send them to me on tumblr)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just more jackcrutchie hurt/comfort.

  Crutchie hadn't had a full night's sleep since before the refuge. He had been jolted from sleep by nightmares at least once a night, sometimes more. It has gotten so bad that he and Jack now slept on a mattress on the rooftop so Crutchie didn't wake the other boys. In light of this, it came as no surprise when he began to scream in his sleep. 

  “Jack?! Jack, please help me! Jack?” He called out in his sleep. He did this often, usually for Jack. He thrashed back and forth, kicking out with his good leg, as it trying to escape someone's grasp. Jack just about had to pin him down to get close to him.

  “Hey, hey, Crutch. Shhh, it's not real. You're safe, I'm right here. It's not real. You're safe.” He soothed.

  The screaming boy was awake now, breathing hard and drenched in sweat.

  “Jack?” He asked in a small voice, not sure if he was still dreaming. 

  “I'm right here.” He replied, moving closer now that Crutchie wasn't kicking and screaming. “You're safe.” 

  The smaller boy didn't reply, just curled up against Jack, who put an arm around him.

  “Wanna talk about it?” He coaxed. Usually he didn't.

  Crutchie took a deep breath before speaking, blue eyes staring at the ground instead of at Jack. “It was...Snyder. And the Delanceys. The day they took me to the refuge. They…..had my crutch....one of them grabbed my leg. They hit me...over and over and no matter how much I begged for them to stop, they...wouldn't. It hurt so much, Jack. And I was calling for you, but you never came….” He trailed off, still taking fast, shallow breaths. 

  “Oh Crutchie. I'm so sorry. I don't know why I didn't come back for you. I'm sorry. I should have saved you. No one deserves what you went through at the refuge.” He stopped, clasping a strong hand over one of the pale, shaking ones. He ran his other hand through the boy's sandy brown hair, brushing it out of his closed eyes. 

  Crutchie responded by nuzzling even closer to Jack, to the point where he was almost laying on top of him. His expression changed with the movement, from one of panic to one of pain. Jack noticed this and moved his hand down to rub the boy's bad leg, as if to massage out the cramps and pain.

  “Leg hurt?” He asked, though he already knew the answer.

  “ _ No _ .” Was the reply. He was lying, and. Jack knew it, so he kept rubbing.

  “You wanna go back to sleep?”

  “ _ No. _ ” If he went back to sleep, he'd just dream again.

  “You have to sleep sooner or later, Crutch.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “But I don't wanna.”

  “Life ain't fair, kid. You can't just never sleep again.”

  “I know life ain't fair, Jack.” He replied in a hurt voice, staring down at his leg.

  “C'mon, you know that ain't what I meant.” Jack groaned. “I just meant that you have to sleep. You'll be safe, I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up.”

  “ _ Promise _ ?”

  “Would I let you down? No way.” He smirked down at the boy lying next to him.          This confirmation of promise seemed to have been accepted, because the smaller boy curled up closer and closed his eyes. Jack continued rubbing the bad leg, and before long the boy was asleep, breathing slow and even at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are kudos are great.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone on tumblr asked for a jackcrutchie au where people can feel their soulmate's pain.

  It was the very first day of classes, and Jack Kelly was already late. He'd slept past his alarm; had had to stop and calm his panicking roommate, David; and now couldn't find the correct lecture hall for his class.

_ Why are there so many?  _ He thought to himself.

   In fact, he was so deep in thought that he ran straight into another person, which was effective in knocking said person to the ground.

  The person he had knocked over was…  _ really cute _ . His sandy brown hair was short, but still long enough to fall over his blue eyes. He wore black jeans and a blue t shirt, and gripped in his hand was….a metal crutch. 

  “Shit! I'm so sorry I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you okay?” He stuck out a nervous hand to the boy on the ground.

  The boy gave the hand an apprehensive glance before grasping it and allowing Jack to pull him to his feet.

  “It's fine. Thanks, for the hand. I gotta go. See you around.” He shot Jack a dazzling smile before turning on his heel and hurrying away.

  It was only once the stranger was out of site that Jack realized he felt a dim pain in his tailbone. Like... _ like he'd fallen backwards. That stranger couldn't have been...no. Could he have been….Jack's soulmate? _

__ It made sense, now that he thought of it. The stranger had used a crutch, his right foot pretty much dragging on the ground behind him. And Jack had always felt pains in his leg, every so often. He'd  _ figured _ it was soulmate pain, for it had been more muted that normal pain. He could just  _ tell.  _ He must have been right.

  But how the hell was he supposed to find him? There had to be hundreds of short, brown haired boys at the college he was at. How was he supposed to locate  _ one  _ boy that he'd only seen once? He hadn't even gotten his name.

  He'd have to ask Katherine later. She might know, for she knew lots of things that Jack didn't. 

 

  He texted Katherine about it as he walked back to his dorm, still keeping an eye out for the boy with the crutch. He still hadn’t seen him, however, when he walked in to find his roommate leaning against their kitchen table. He had been talking to someone sitting on the opposite counter, but stopped and looked at Jack as he set his bag down on a chair. The person David had been talking to, he realized with great shock, was the boy from earlier.

  “Hey Jack. This,” he indicated the boy sitting in their counter. “Is Crutchie. He came over to do math homework.”

  Jack stood there, dumbfounded.

  “We've met.” Crutchie supplied, flashing Jack another brilliant smile.

  “Oh.” David blinked, looking confused. “Anyway…” He turned back to Crutchie and began to speak in math terms Jack didn't understand.

  The other boy listened to David, but kept his eyes on Jack.  _ Did he know? _ Jack pushed the thought away. There was no way he could know.  _ He _ was the one that has fallen, so he couldn't have felt any pain that wasn't his own.

  Jack decided he would just have to ask him about it later, but blushed when he realized he had been staring. He looked away, turning his attention to the ground.

  David must have noticed how the two boys were looking at each other, because he spoke up. “I'm just gonna go...to the bathroom. Be right back.” At this, he hightailed it out of the room. 

  “So….” Crutchie began.

  Jack decided to go for it. “This morning when I knocked you over-”

  “It's fine. Really.”

  “No, you don't understand. I felt it.”

  The other boy’s eyes widened. “When  _ I  _ fell... _ you _ felt it.”

  Jack nodded, possibly more nervous than he'd ever been in his entire life.

  “Are you  _ sure _ ?…” Crutchie trailed off, staring at Jack.

  “There's one way to find out.” He turned and, finding a knife, pricked the end of his finger. Blood welled up from the small puncture, and the boy on the counter flinched, grabbing his own finger. He'd felt the pain, though it appeared unharmed.

  “Oh my god.” Was all he said, still looking at his finger in disbelief.

  “Look, I'm really sorry. I've only just met you, you deserve so much better than me…” Jack tried to apologize, but was cut off.

  “Jack.” It was the first time he had said Jack's name, and it sounded perfect rolling off his tongue.

  “Yes?” He replied, voice as nervous as his racing thoughts.

  “Can I kiss you?” The smaller boy asked simply.

  Jack's mind went blank. His mouth fell open.

 “Fuck. I shouldn't have asked, I'm so sorry, we barely kn-” He was cut off when Jack stepped forward and pressed their lips together. One of his hands rested on Crutchie’s knee, the other cupped the back of his neck. After a few seconds he kissed back, smiling against Jack's lips. 

  And then David walked in. “Hey guys, I'm back….” He stopped when he saw them.

  Jack backed away so quickly that he ran into the edge of the counter.

  “Ow!” He and Crutchie exclaimed at the same time, causing them both to blush bright red.

  David's features assumed a look of realization. “You're…”

  “Yep.” The two soulmates spoke at the same time, which caused them both to dissolve into a fit of laughter.

  “I'll leave you to it then.” The confused onlooker stated, turning on his heel and walking right back out ot the room. This only encouraged their laughter, until Jack was quite literally rolling on the floor. Crutchie hopped down to join him, and they laughed until they could no longer breath.

  After the laughter ceased they just lay next to each other on the kitchen floor, hands clasped like they would never let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are awesome!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lovely person on tumblr asked for Jack and Crutchie going to a pumpkin patch. Please enjoy!

It was still dark when Jack was roused from sleep by his excited boyfriend.

  “Crutchie, what do you want? It's,” he groaned, glancing at the clock. “5 in the morning.”

  “Its October 1st!” Was the reply from the other boy, blue eyes shining and sandy brown hair was ruffled in an adorable manner.

  “And…” his voice was confused and thick with sleep.

  “We have to go buy pumpkins!” This response was even more excited than the last.

  “But do we have to go  _ now _ ?”

  “Yes!” His tone gave the impression that the answer was obvious. “If we don't go now all the good ones will be gone!”

  “All the good what's…” Jack inquired, for he had started to drift back into the welcoming arms of sleep.

  “Pumpkins!” The smaller boy nearly shouted, gripping the other’s arm with a strength not proportional to his thin body.

  “Fine…” He slid out of bed, shuddering when his bare feet hit the cold floor.    Grabbing clothes at random from the dark room, he somehow managed to make his way to the bathroom without tripping.

  Once he was there, he changed into jeans and a t-shirt before turning to the mirror. Trying as best as he could to flatten his short, dark hair, he opened the door and walked back into the bedroom.   

 Squinting, for the window curtains had been opened in his absence, he pulled on a random hoodie that was draped across a chair. He was almost ready to go, but hesitated when he noticed that his boyfriend using two forearm crutches, as opposed to the usual one.

  “Babe, are you sure you wanna go today?” He eyed the crutches.

  “Positive.” The other boy reassured him, puffing out his chest a little. He also wore jeans and a hoodie, though the latter did not belong to him.

  “Alright.” Jack agreed, but added. “Is that my sweatshirt?”

  “Nope.” He answered, but his sly grin and the fact that it nearly reached his knees told otherwise.

  “Sure. Let's go then. Before all the pumpkins are gone.” 

 

  Before long they were seated side by side in Jack's beat up old van, him driving (per usual) and Crutchie sitting shotgun. It was quite a long drive to the pumpkin patch, as their apartment was located in the city, but they passed the time by singing along to several musical soundtracks. Being complete theatre nerds, they knew all the words. 

  After a long drive of dramatic singing and reenactment, they arrived at their destination. The sun was rising over the field of pumpkins, a scene Jack decided he would like to paint once they returned home. They were the only ones there, save for a bored looking employee standing at a wooden booth that read “Pay Here” in large painted letters.

  Jack parked the van and got out, jogging around to open the passenger side door.

  “I  _ can _ open my own door, Jack.” Crutchie chided his boyfriend, only half joking.

  “At least let me be a gentleman, you nerd.” The dark haired boy replied, pleading expression decorating his sharp features.

  “I bet you say that to all the boys.” He said, shooting a sly smile up at the exasperated face of his companion.

  “C'mon.” Jack reached over and ruffled his hair.

  “I'm coming, darling.” He grabbed his crutches from the floor and stood up, moving out of the way so the door could be closed behind him.

  With that, they set off toward the pumpkins, Jack slowing his gait to make up for the slight limp of his boyfriend's.   

  There were hundreds of pumpkins of various colours, shapes, and sizes, all growing haphazard through the green field. It was a bit difficult to navigate (since there were no actual paths between the rows), especially with crutches, but they somehow managed not to trip on any vines. 

  “There are a lot of pumpkins.” Jack stated.

  Crutchie’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I know! How are we gonna choose?”

  “I,” He surveyed the field once again. “Have no idea.”

  His boyfriend didn't hear this, for he was already a couple feet away examining pumpkins. He moved through the rows, features sporting an expression of intense concentration. After extensive examination, he stopped next to a large, white pumpkin.

  “I like this one.” He looked back at Jack, who stood a few feet away. Jack blinked and strode over to the pumpkin in question. Kneeling next to it, he looked it over.

  “If this is the one you want, then that's the one we'll get.”

  This earned another grin from the smaller of the two boys. Jack, careful to be gentle, disconnected the pumpkin from the numerous vines and picked it up. 

  With that, they set off back towards the van. They were almost out of the field when Crutchie stopped all of the sudden. His features were contorted with pain, but as if he were trying to brush it off and keep going. 

  “Hey babe, you okay?” Jack sounded worried (as he often was).

  Crutchie nodded, but still appeared to be in pain.

  “Are you  _ sure?” _

_   “ _ I'm fine, I can walk. Just give me a minute.” He promised through clenched teeth.

  “Let me carry you.”

  This request was brushed off. “You can't carry me  _ and _ the pumpkin.”

  “Sure I can.”

  “ _ No. _ ”

  “Please.”

  Crutchie sighed. “Fine.”

  “Thank you. Hold this.” He held out the pumpkin.

  Crutchie looked very confused, but took it.

  Once he was holding the pumpkin, Jack picked them both up, bridal style with the pumpkin and crutches across Crutchie’s lap. He carried him out of the field and back to the van, depositing him in the front seat and, after pecking him on the cheek, going to pay for the pumpkin.

  After returning to the car, they drove back home in blissful, happy silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are the best!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JackCrutchie VERY MUCH ANGST aka. that one scene where Jack visits Crutchie in the refuge.

Jack Kelly almost couldn't work up the courage to go back to the Refuge. He'd promised. Promised himself he would never go back there. Promised he'd never let Snyder get to him again. But this wasn't about him. It was about Crutchie, and Crutchie was all that mattered.

 

Attempting to make as little noise as possible, he climbed up the rickety fire-escape to a window on the fourth floor. This particular window, is his memory served him correct, was the one with the faulty lock. He should know. This was the window through which he had made his escape.

 

When he reached the window, he took a brief moment to peer through the grimy glass. If the routine was the same as it had been when he was there, then the kids would be downstairs, carrying out Snyder's dirty work. Little force was necessary to push open the window,  just as he had thought.

 

Sure enough, the dark room was completely empty, save for the many bunkbeds that were arranged across the room. At least, he  _ thought _ the room was empty. Upon further inspection, he caught sight of a small figure huddled on a bed in the far corner.

 

He crept forward, stopping when he was about an arm's length away from the bed in question. He stood there for a moment before placing a hand on the shoulder of the figure. The moment his hand made contact, the figure twisted around and pushed up against the wall, wincing in pain at the sudden movement.

 

This figure, a sandy-haired boy a bit smaller than Jack, was sucking in harsh, shallow breaths, blue eyes wide with terror.

“Crutchie! It's me! It's Jack! You're fine, I'm here!” Jack whispered, placing a firm hand on the smaller boy's arm.

 

“J-jack? W-what're ya doin here…?” Crutchie inquired weakly, squinting through the darkness at Jack.

 

“What do ya think, Crutch? I came to rescue you.” Jack replied, sitting down on the edge of the small bunk.

 

“Y-ya shouldn't be here. It's dangerous. You'll get caught. You have to leave!” Crutchie pleaded.

 

“I'll never leave ya again, Crutch. Never.” Jack replied, voice soft but firm. “Promise.”

 

The other boy stared up at Jack. “What happened yesterday, Jack? The Delancys found me and I was callin and callin for ya, but you never came. Then they took my crutch and they...” He stopped, choking back a sob.

 

“If they touched you…” Jack warned.

 

“I'm okay. I'm okay.” He repeated, trying to convince himself more than convince Jack. “Why'd you leave me, Jack?”

 

Jack couldn't meet those blue eyes.  

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just...ran. Didn't even think, just ran. Like a coward.”

 

The blue eyes slid down towards the floor. Jack brought his hand up to rub the smaller boy's back, stopping when Crutchie tensed.

 

“Crutch. Where'd they hurt you.” Jack coaxed. 

 

“Jack…” He tried to brush Jack's worrying hands off, but winced in pain again. 

 

“Tell me. Please.” Jack's hands, usually steady and strong, fluttered across Crutchie’s small form, like he didn't know what he could touch. 

 

“I...I can't walk, Jack. They dragged me away by my bad leg and...it's pretty bad...and Snyder-” He stopped suddenly, breathing hard.

 

“Snyder hit you?!” Jack almost yelled, though he was trying to be quiet.

 

Crutchie hesitated before nodding, an almost unnoticeable movement.

 

Jack blinked before wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and holding tight. After a few seconds Crutchie melted into his arms, still shaking. He felt safe, even if only for a moment. 

 

The moment didn't very long. Jack sat up, as if remembering where they were. “How bad is your leg, Crutch?”

 

“It's fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about it.” Crutchie was almost too quick to assure him.

 

“I don't believe you.”

 

Crutchie looked at the floor again, light brown hair falling over his eyes. “I'm fine, Jack. Really.”

 

“I know you're lying. You don't have to be so brave, Crutch. I'm here for you. Please let me see how bad it is.”

 

He leaned back against the poor excuse for a pillow, allowing Jack to pull back the thin sheet and examine his injuries. Both of them sucked in a sharp breath, Jack in surprise, Crutchie in pain. His right leg was twisted at an even more unnatural angle than usual, the pale skin livid with shallow cuts and dark bruises. Jack looked like he wanted to kill someone.

 

“If he ever touches you again-” Jack began, but Crutchie cut him off.

 

“There's nothing you can do, Jack.”

 

“I can get you outta here.”

 

“You can't, Jack. I… I can't walk and my crutch is gone, there's no way we could get out of here unnoticed.” 

 

“I'll carry you!”

 

“You know I don't let anyone carry me.” Crutchie warned.

 

“This is different, Crutchie! People are hurting you here I can't just leave you!” 

 

“It's not different. I'm not a child, I don't need to be carried. Even if I let you there's no way you could get us both down that fire escape without being seen. I'll be fine here, you have to leave before someone finds you.”

 

“I'm not leaving without you, Crutchie! You might not even survive another couple days. Your leg could get infected or the polio could come back or--” He was cut off when Crutchie’s mouth pressed against his. It lasted a split second, before Crutchie pulled out of the kiss he had started, staring at Jack with determination.

 

“I'll be fine, at least long enough for you to win the strike. After you win, you can come back for me. Make sure that the papes say how bad Snyder treats us. If you do that, he'll go to jail for sure and you can get me outta here.”

 

“Crutch.”

 

“Go, Cowboy. Go win the strike, for me.”

 

“I love you.” Jack stated as he stood from the small bunk and backed across the room.

 

“I love you too.” Crutchie replied.

  
With that, Jack climbed back out the window into the night, leaving Crutchie alone in a cold room with a leg that cramped and twinged and feelings of pain, fear and, most importantly, hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are sweet!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr request. Deaf! Specs meets Romeo in a dance class.

  Romeo had been watching the cute, tall guy from across the studio for most of the class. He was gorgeous; tousled blond hair and bright eyes, focused behind the round glasses perched on his nose. He was a great dancer, too; strong but graceful. 

  It wasn't long, however, until class ended. This was good on one hand, for he was exhausted. It was bad, on the other hand, because cute glasses dude (or Specs, as he had taken to calling him) soon disappeared into the crowd of dancers.

  A bit discouraged, he pulled out his phone and was headed for the door when he crashed head-on into another person. He scrambled to apologize, but stopped short when he looked up to see tall, blonde, and gorgeous himself.

  “Um…” He tried to put together a coherent thought. “Sorry.”

  Specs (he had decided on that nickname) just stared at him, looking dumbfounded.

  “Um, you okay?” Romeo asked after a few seconds.

  Specs winced, before shrugging and gesturing at his ear, as if to say  _ “sorry, I can't hear you”. _

_   Oh. _

  He started to stammer an awkward reply, but was cut off by a hand on his arm. Specs was holding a pen, and glanced at him before taking his hand and scrawling something on the back of it in purple ink. 

  With this, he turned and walked off, giving Romeo a small wave.

  Not sure if he was dreaming or not, he looked at the scrawl on his skin.

_ I'm deaf. You're cute though, text me sometime. _

__ This was followed by a phone number, which he soon memorized. 

  With only a moment's hesitation, he typed the number into his phone and sent a message.

 

**[Me]** _Are u tired? Cuz u’ve been running thru my mind all day._

**[Unknown number]** _Well that was fast. Sorry about earlier, btw._

**[Me]** _Don't worry about it. I'm the one that ran into you._

**[Me]** _ Also, do you have a name, or do I just have to keep calling you Specs in my head. _

**[Unknown Number]** _ Lol. I'm Matt, but if you wanna call me Specs it's fine by me. _

 

Smirking to himself, he changed the contact name before sending another message.

 

**[Me]** _ Well then, Specs it is. I’m Romeo btw. Wanna go out for coffee some time? _

**[Specs]** _ I'd love that. I'm not really good conversation tho, fyi. _

**[Me]** _ Sounds good (we could text back instead of talking, if you want.  _

**[Specs]** _ That would probably work better :) You busy Monday at 4? Coffee Shop across the street from the studio? _

**[Me]** _ Sounds awesome. See u then. _

**[Specs]** _ :) _

  
  He smiled to himself, setting off towards home with a little extra spring in his step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are a writer's best friend.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are welcome and appreciated. 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @this-is-crutchie-btw


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